In examples, a conductive polymer is produced by an emulsion polymerization method to form an organically soluble conductive polymer. The soluble conductive polymer can then be cast into a film having a particular electrical conductivity. Electrical conductivity (or specific conductance) is a measure of the film's ability to conduct electricity. Electrical conductivity can be measured in units of Siemens per meter (S/m) or Siemens per centimeter meter (S/cm), for example. Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity, which is measured in (Ohm·m) or (Ohm·cm). For example, the film of conductive polymer may have electrical conductivity on the order of 1E-5 S/cm.
Electrical conductivity of the film may be increased by treating the film with a conductivity enhancer (e.g., isopropanol). For instance, conductivity of the film made of the conductive polymer may be increased to approximately 10 S/cm, which amounts to 6 orders of magnitude increase from the film before treatment with isopropanol.
The conductive polymer may be brittle and not suitable to some applications. To make the conductive polymer usable in particular applications, it is first rendered flexible and compatible with other materials by, for example, formulating the conductive polymer in polyurethane, epoxy, or phenoxy resins, among other example resins. Formulating conductive polymer in a resin may, for example, involve dispersing the conductive polymer in the resin to form a network of the conductive polymer therein.
However, formulating the conductive polymer in the resin reduces or degrades electrical conductivity of the conductive polymer. For instance, electrical conductivity of the conductive polymer may be reduced to lower than 1E-3 S/cm despite treatment with isopropanol. Such reduction or degradation in electrical conductivity may be undesirable.
It may thus be desirable to have films or layers of a conductive polymer that are usable in various applications without degradation to electrical conductivity of the conductive polymer films or layers. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.